Colorado Gov. Polis on "pro-freedom" vaccine stance, fraud claims from Trump

2 hours ago 4

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat finishing retired his last word who has astatine times recovered himself astatine likelihood with his enactment connected cardinal nationalist issues, says the champion mode to recognize his authorities is that helium is "pro-freedom."

That extends to much benign issues similar allowing kids to run lemonade stands without a permit, to larger concerns similar legalizing alleged "magic mushrooms," which Polis supported, and vaccine mandates, which Polis opposes.

"I'm pro-vax, maine and my household are vaxxed," Polis told "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil. "I don't deliberation the authorities should unit you to get vaxxed. ... So, pro-freedom."

Asked Monday astir the recent changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance connected puerility vaccines, recommending less immunizations than were antecedently suggested, Polis said, "Those are recommendations, obviously."

"We [Colorado] usage immoderate of the nationalist recommendations, that, you know, again, it's up to each genitor to marque that determination for their kids," Polis said. "It's bully to enactment the champion imaginable accusation successful beforehand of people. In astir cases, getting vaccinated is the champion mode to support your wellness and your kid's health."

The American Academy of Pediatrics has called the CDC's changes unsafe and said it would proceed giving its ain guidance.

Asked however Democrats tin triumph backmost voters who chose to enactment President Trump due to the fact that of his run promises to springiness Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a large relation successful his administration, Polis told CBS News, "I deliberation Democrats should beryllium the enactment of health."

He said a main constituent of that is making wellness attraction much affordable, but helium lamented that Democrats person not been arsenic vocal astir issues similar "the dangers of highly processed foods," steadfast schoolhouse meals, and insecticides, arsenic immoderate Republicans person been.

"Remember, it's nobody's extremity to person to person wellness care. It's your extremity to conscionable enactment healthy, and a batch of that comes down to diet, nutrition and exercise," Polis said. "And it shouldn't helium a partisan message. Colorado has the lowest obesity complaint of immoderate state. We're arrogant of that. We person a large outdoor lifestyle. That's thing that we should truly instrumentality crossed the country."

Asked however acold his "pro-freedom" stance goes, Polis said, "I'm not an anarchist."

"We person rights. Fundamental rights. ... When you're minding your concern and doing your ain thing, really, the authorities shouldn't interfere," helium said. "When you commencement interfering with your neighbors and those astir you, there's a precise due relation of authorities to measurement successful and say, 'They merit their state too.'"

Polis' interrogation comes amid the Trump administration's attempts to contradict Colorado and immoderate different Democratic-led states billions of dollars successful societal work funding implicit allegations of fraud — allegations that have, successful part, led to the surge of national agents successful Minneapolis, wherever an Immigration and Customs Enforcement serviceman shot and killed Renee Nicole Good past week.

"We invited immoderate mode to look astatine fraud and decision it. I mean, we spot the national authorities arsenic a spouse successful that," Polis said. "Freezing it [the funding] earlier they recovered immoderate fraud, that's truly inappropriate."

"We person 1 of the little fraud rates of immoderate state," Polis said. "Every state's going to person immoderate misuse of funds. We person 1 of the little ones."

Polis said that, during his clip successful office, nationalist authorities person go "more vitriolic."

"To measurement down to the level of idiosyncratic attacks and undermine the motives of others is truly what's unsafe successful today's society," helium said. "What bothers maine the astir is the immense spread successful perceptions of what Democrats deliberation Republicans judge and what Republicans deliberation Democrats believe. Most Americans are good, honest, hardworking Americans who privation to marque their state a amended place. And we request to observe that commonality."

Polis said helium believes the 2 parties often enactment amended astatine the authorities level than astatine the nationalist level, and noted that astir fractional of each Coloradoans don't adjacent beryllium to a governmental party. He touted the occurrence of nonstop democracy, specified arsenic ballot initiatives that led to the legalization of marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms successful the state, arsenic good arsenic measures specified arsenic ranked prime voting, which Denver and Boulder some usage for their mayoral elections.

"I deliberation a multi-party strategy would beryllium healthier successful galore ways," helium said of America's de facto two-party governmental system.